Trolley circuit-breaker.



No. 733,619. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903. C. P. BREESE.

TROLLEY CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1903.

NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES PARKER BREESE, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

TROLLEY CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

SEEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 33,619, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed April 1, 1903. Serial No. 150,669- (No model.)

To all whom, it 77l/Cl/y concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLEs PARKER BREESE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley Circuit- Brcakers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to trolley circuitbreakers or line-section insulators.

One of the objects of my invention is the effective maintenance of continuity in the supply of electric current to the trolley-wheel during the change from one section to the adjacent section, and this object is accomplished by making the conductor of one section overlap the conductor of the adjacent section, so that for a short time the trolleywheel will collect current from both conductors and will always be in contact with one or the other of the conductors. The maintenance of continuity in the electric current assured by this overlapping; of circuit-terminals permits the trolley-wire to be employed for signaling purposes and also does away with many disadvantages of the system now commonly in use, in which the circuit is broken for an appreciable interval of time, and unless the current is cut off from the car by the controller a destructive arc is liable to form at the point of breaking and the sudden and uncontrolled rush of current at the point of again making the circuit will give a severe shock to the motive parts of the car. For this reason motormen are instructed to cut off the current entirely from the motors before a trolley wheel crosses the circuit breaker and to throw it on again through the different points of the controller after the trolley-wheel has crossed the circuit-breaker. This means a loss of speed to the car and the possibility that the car may come to a stop with the trolley-wheel 011 the insulating part of the circuit-breaker. It also involves complication of a motormans instructions and carefully-timed action, and it frequently happens that these instructions are not remembered or the current is not shut off at the right moment.

My invention has other objects and advantageous features and also includes various improvements in the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

I will now describe the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will thereafter point out my invention in claims.

Figure 1 is a side View of a circuit-breaker embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same, illustrating the trolley traction-surface. Fig. 3 is a vertical central sec tion of the same, also showing in section a trolley-wheel in contact therewith.

The trolley circuit-breaker shown has a body a of insulating material. The end pieces I) and l) are of conductive material and partly embrace the ends of the insulatingbody a and are provided with the usual extensions (Z and d to receive and clamp the trolley-wire m and also with clamps c and c for the feeder-wires and with suitable suspension means. The parts of the end pieces which embrace the insulating-body comprise long arms e and e, fitting in corresponding recesses in the opposite edges of the insulating-body, so as to form metallic edges for the traction-surface and each extending past the middle of the block, so as to overlap each other longitudinally, and also short arms or ears f and f, adapted to receive holding-screws g, these screws also passing through the insulating-body and entering the opposite long arm of each end piece to hold the parts together. The insulating-body a is properly shaped to receive the end pieces and long arms and ears thereof and is provided with a longitudinal groove h at its bottom face extending beyond the overlap of the long arms e and e. The function of this groove is to provide an airgap between the conductive edges and also to permit a limited elasticity at the conductive edges, so as to better maintain continuity of contact. The lower or runner face of the circuit is slightly elevated throughout the greater part of the length of the insulatingbody a, rising by gentle inclines i and i, and the lower face is gradually widened from the ends toward the highest points of the inclines, so that the contact with thetrolley-wheel is changed from the bottom of its groove at the trolley-wire to the sides of its flanges at the overlapping portions, and this change of contact-points is effected without change in the elevation of the trolley-wheel. This contact with the sides of the flanges of the trolleywheel j, which exists throughout the overlap, is shown in Fig. It is evident thatawedging-grip is attained and that the limited resilience of the contact edges assists inthe continued maintenance of conductive contact.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the constructions shown and above particularly described within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A trolley circuit-breaker having an illsulating-body and overlapping circuit-terminals insulated from each other.

2. A trolley circuit-breaker having an. insulating body and conductive end pieces partly embracing the insulating-body, the end pieces having arms extending along the lower edges of the insulating-body and overlapping each other longitudinally.

A trolley circuit-breaker having an insulating body and conductive end pieces partly embracing the insulating-body, the end pieces having arms extending along the lower edges of the insulating-body and overlapping each other longitudinally, and theinsulatingbody having a groove in its lower face between the overlapping arms.

4. A trolley circuit-breaker having an in sulating body and conductive end pieces partly embracing the insulating-body, the end pieces having arms extending along the lower edges of the insulating-body and overlapping each other longitudinally, and the lower face of the circuit -breaker being elevated and widened throughout the overlap, substantially as set forth.

5. A trolley circuit-breaker having an insulating body and conductive end pieces partly embracing the insulating-body, the end pieces having arms extending along the lower edges of the insulating-body and overlapping each other longitudinally, the lower face of the circuit -breaker being elevated and widened throughout the overlap, and the insulatingbody having a groove in its lower face between the overlapping arms, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES PARKER BREESE.

\Vitnesses:

\VILLIAM P/HALL, CYRUS S. SEDGWIGK. 

